Tenant complaining about heating costs

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lotus

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I have a tenant who rents a 3 bed end of terrace mid 50s ex corpo house from me. She has informed me she has spent €2400 on oil in 10 months. She is obviously not happy with this situation. She claims the heating is on for 5 hours a day max. I cant understand how it could cost this much. The boiler was serviced 6 months ago. There appears to be no leaks in the tank or pipes. I have suggested the possibiliy of the oil/kerrosene being stolen but this is unlikely and she agrees. I assume there is no insulation in the attic but to be honest I have never even seen the attic. There are double glazed windows and doors and the house is in good condition overall.

The previous tenant was in house for 3 yrs and mentioned it was expensive to heat the house before she moved on.

Overall, she is a reliable tenant and I dont want to lose her and have the hassle of finding new , suitable replacements. I wonder where do I start in tryin to come to a ressolution?

Insulation or no insulation, I cant understand how oil bill could be this high if heating is only on for 5 hours per day...........

Ideas, suggestions, advice appreciated
 
I rented a property in the past and found we were constantly putting oil into the tank..... turned out there was a leak in the tank and it was running into the ground.
just a thought
 
A few possibilities. There may be air in the system. If there is the heating will keep on running and water will not be passing though the system. you would be paying to heat Air. Is there is thermostat on the wall and if so in the right location. Pointless having this located beside a window or a door or in a bathroom. Also the entire system might require calibration. Get a decent plumber to look at it.
 
I think that 5 hours a day is a long time for a burner to be running, it would be quite simple to work out the average consumption of oil if you knew how many litres or kilogrammes of oil were being burnt per hour; the handbook for the boiler will provide such data. As to what to do: it seems crazy to me that you do not know whether the attic is insulated or not, this is a priority. Insulation of the attic and proper pipe lagging will improve matters no end, a minimum of 10- 12" of glass fibre are recommended. I would consider this to be an investment in the house and the cost would be only a few hundred euro.
 
Thanks all for the replies.

Will get a plumber to haave a look and ask him about the possibility of air in pipes or need for calibration. Will also check about location of thermostat.

I wonder if I was to insulate the attic aswell would II be able to do it myslf with some help once I purchase the fibreglass?
 
Also would it make a big dfference insulating the attic if the walls are not dry lined?
Anyways I think this is a side issue as even without the insulation, there is no way the heating costs should be this high so there must be something else goin on..........
 
If it is an old boiler it not might be as efficient as a modern one due to wear and tear and/or due to older technology. It might be the time to think about replacing it for a more modern more efficient one. Ask your plumber about this.
 
I will check that with plumber also. As far as I know hough, the boiler is only about 10 yrs old.
 
lotus said:
Also would it make a big dfference insulating the attic if the walls are not dry lined?
Anyways I think this is a side issue as even without the insulation, there is no way the heating costs should be this high so there must be something else goin on..........
Click to expand...

The roof space should be well insulated regardless, it is a relatively simple and inexpensive process, well within the capabilities of the average DIYer. The house is end of terrace so there are less exposed external walls, this is better than a detached house but yes, drylining would be a prudent measure to minimise losses through the walls. Drylining is not cheap and has a considerable effect on rooms sizes, so I would would be inclined to focus on roof insulation, pipe lagging and perhaps replacing the boiler for a more efficient model. The reality is that with escalating oil prices drylining may be essential in the future.
 
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